Turning Point
by dovasary13
Summary: Professor Flitwick steps in and asks Cedric to do something that will change Harry Potter's life forever. Both fluffy and serious, join Harry and Cedric as they discover a whole new side to themselves.
1. Chapter 1: Flitwick's Task

_Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter. _

**Okay, People. This is my first slash story as well as my first multy chapter story. If same sex couples offends you, for reasons that I couldn't possibly comprehend, kindly leave this story and refrain from sending nasty messages about it as they will be discarded without a moments hesitation. Everyone else, I do hope you enjoy. There just aren't enough Harry/Cedric stories out there. **

**Chapter 1: Professor Flitwick's Task**

Cedric Diggory. Handsome. Intelligent. Polite. Personable. Straight O student. Prefect. Quidditch Captain and Seeker. Hogwarts Champion in the Triwizard Tournament. He'd never been in trouble a day in his life and every Hufflepuff was proud to say he was one of them. Of the Professors, only Severus Snape could find anything negative to say about Cedric, and even then it was more because of the house he'd been sorted into than anything else.

Cedric Diggory was practically perfect in every way.

Hence his blatant confusion when a serious looking Professor Flitwick held him behind after Charms. Cedric began running his behavior throughout the lesson in his head as he followed the tiny Professor's request to close the door. He could think of nothing he could have done to offend, but he couldn't help growing even more concerned when Flitwick warded the room against eavesdroppers.

"I have a request Mr. Diggory," Flitwick squeaked, and Cedric couldn't help his relieved sigh. "I'm not your Head of House and have no right to ask this of you, but you are the only student I would trust to do this properly."

"Does this have to do with why you warded the door, Sir?"

"Yes. I'm concerned, Mr. Diggory, about Harry Potter. I would like you to befriend him and watch over him."

"I don't understand, Professor. Why are you so concerned?"

"I don't believe for a moment Mr. Potter placed his name in that Goblet. He shies away from attention. He does not seek it."

"If… If you're right… Excuse me, Professor, but are you saying someone is trying to kill Potter?"

"That is precisely what I'm saying."

"So, he really didn't put his name in the goblet?"

"No."

"But, what can I do? If someone _is_ trying to kill him, what could _I_ possibly do? Shouldn't you go to Headmaster Dumbledore about this?"

"Albus is convinced Mr. Potter did this himself. He will not listen to reason. As for you, be his friend. Be loyal. I believe that is all he needs."

"He has friends, though."

"He has one friend who tries her best, but she is all logic and very judgmental and rather pushy. That is not what he needs right now."

"Granger?" Flitwick nodded. "What about Weasley?"

"He has turned his back on Mr. Potter."

Cedric nodded. "I understand what you want me to do, but I don't know how it could possibly change anything."

Flitwick hesitated before sighing. "Everything we've spoken of must stay between us, Mr. Diggory. It is imperative." He waited for Cedric's confirmation before explaining. "Mr. Potter is very powerful, more powerful than I believe even Albus realizes. He can defend himself, I believe, from even the worst threats. What I'm concerned about is his past. He has suffered continuous betrayal and this is not the first time he has been placed in a life threatening situation because no one would either listen to or believe him. Mr. Potter is a good person, Mr. Diggory, one of the best. If it were just his life at school that was difficult, I believe he could still pull through it all with grace, but there is more. I believe he has had a less than pleasant home life. I don't know the details, but I have noticed the signs."

Cedric sighed. "So, basically, it's been tragedy after tragedy for him."

"Yes, and I don't know how much more he can take. He needs a constant. Someone he can rely on and trust."

"And you want me to be his constant."

"In short, yes. I have no doubt the two of you will get along. Are you up for the task Mr. Diggory? You must be sure."

"I will do my best, Professor."

Satisfied by the determination in Cedric's eyes, Flitwick dismissed his student.

Immediately after his last class of the day, Cedric went in search of Harry Potter, but he found the task more difficult than he originally thought it would be. After searching the halls, the grounds, and asking a shy first year to check Gryffindor tower, Cedric was exhausted and on the verge of giving up. He sighed as he entered the library, his last resort. It was common knowledge Potter only came to the library when Granger made him, and he had seen her out on the grounds.

He didn't see Potter at any of the tables or the common stacks, so he began to move towards the very back of the library where people rarely ventured. It wasn't until he reached the corner of the library that he saw Harry Potter's small form reading a dusty tome in the poor lighting. It was almost amusing. The book he was so immersed in was nearly bigger than he was. Yes, _almost_ amusing. Now that Flitwick had put the thought in his head, he couldn't help noticing just how small Potter was in every way. Small and fragile. Like he could break from nothing more than a touch, and he had to wonder why.

Cedric quietly approached the boy and knelt before him. He smirked. _That book really has all of his attention._ "Potter."

Harry jumped and managed to hit Cedric directly in the nose with the hefty tome in his hands. Cedric fell backwards, clutching his bloody nose, while Harry stared, wide eyed, in shock.

"Ow."

Belated perhaps, but it pulled Harry out of his stupor. He snorted. "Sorry, Diggory. You startled me."

Cedric scowled. "Obviously." Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at Cedric's nose. Cedric backed away a little bit. "What are you doing?"

Harry's eyebrows rose. "I'm going to heal your nose. It looks broken. What did you think I was going to do?"

"I don't know. I just don't particularly like having a wand pointed at my face. Do you even know how to fix it?"

"No, Diggory. I thought I'd just wave my wand in your general direction and hope it worked," Harry deadpanned.

"Right." Cedric slowly lowered his hand and before he could blink Harry had waved his wand and Cedric's nose snapped back into place. Another wave and the blood disappeared. Cedric cleared his throat. "Thanks."

Harry shrugged. "S'my fault anyway."

"Not really. I'm the one who startled you."

"Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

"Can't I be curious about my fellow Hogwarts Champion?" Harry merely stared at him, expressionless, waiting for the truth. Cedric sighed and pulled himself over to sit beside Harry. "Honestly? I was asked to keep an eye on you?'

Emerald eyes narrowed behind bulky glasses. Cedric absently noted they were far too large for his face. "Was it Dumbledore?" Cedric was surprised by the venom in Harry's voice.

"What? No. It was Flitwick. He's worried about you and frankly so am I."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you worried?"

"Because someone placed your name in that goblet and somehow I don't think they did it with good intentions towards your health."

Harry remained suspicious. "Why do you suddenly believe me? You didn't two nights ago."

Cedric blushed. "Flitwick talked some sense into me. I'm sorry. If I had even spent a second thinking about it I would have realized you didn't do it. I do think you're powerful enough to have done it, but you avoid the limelight and this tournament is all about limelight. Anyone with half a brain can see that."

Harry blinked and looked at his book. "Thank you for believing me Cedric. That makes three people including Flitwick."

"I'll talk to my house. Try to get them to see reason."

"Thank you," Harry whispered.

"So, what book do you have there?"

"It's a book on ancient contracts. I'm looking for a way out of this Tournament. I don't want to participate."

"Can I help?" Cedric asked after a moment's hesitation.

"You're a little late. I'm coming to the end of the only passage on the Triwizard Tournament's contract. Whoever created this thing was a real bastard. There is absolutely no loophole."

"How do you know this is the only passage?"

"I created a spell last year that summons all books with information related to what you're looking for within a 100 foot range. The only other book that came to me was Hogwarts, A History and it says nothing about the contract besides it being binding." Cedric stared at Harry in wonder as he finished the passage and slammed the book shut in frustration. "Looks like I'm participating."

"You created a spell?"

Harry snorted. "Yes, Cedric. I created a spell."

"When you were thirteen?"

"Yes."

"How come no one knows you're that brilliant?"

Harry actually laughed at Cedric's indignant tone. "It's not that big of a deal."

"But… why?"

"Three reasons: Ron, Hermione, and attention."

"What?"

"I have two friends, Cedric. Well I had two friends. Now it's really only one, but that's not the point. Ron has an inferiority complex. I would have lost him sooner if he knew what I was capable of. Hermione would turn everything into a competition. The only thing I enjoy competing in is Quidditch. Besides, think about it. I already get more attention than I like just by being Harry Potter. I don't feel the need to draw more attention to myself by showing off." Harry smirked. "Of course, it's always nice to have an ace in the hole, you know?"

"… Slytherin."

"What?"

"You should have been in Slytherin."

"That's what the hat said." Harry froze. "Shit."

"What? What happened?"

"What the hell did you do? You come waltzing over here and in a matter of minutes have me spilling my secrets! No one knows any of what I've just told you. No one."

"I won't tell, I swear to Merlin. My lips are sealed."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. I didn't do anything."

"Don't lie to me, Diggory, I never tell anyone things like that, especially not that easily. I have a spell that will make you tell the truth."

"Then use it because I didn't do anything."

Harry sagged against the wall. Cedric breathed. An angry Harry Potter was a scary one.

An awkward silence fell over them. "Sorry."

"…It's alright… Probably would have been suspicious too given your past."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you've had a complicated past. Are you always this suspicious?"

"Yes."

"Well, alright then."

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's it."

"I don't understand."

"According to Flitwick, things like someone putting your name in a goblet to enter you into a deadly competition are relatively common for you. I don't blame you for being suspicious."

"That's…awfully understanding of you." Harry kneeled beside Cedric and slowly began poking him in the face, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Cedric caught Harry's finger. "_What_ are you doing?"

"Seeing if you're real."

Cedric snorted. "I'm real."

"You're not under a spell?"

"No."

"And you're not just pretending to be nice because Flitwick asked you to, because if you are you can leave. Now."

The answer to that was not so simple, but he got the feeling only one hundred percent honesty would be the only thing Harry Potter would accept. "I found you because Flitwick asked me to. I stayed after you broke my nose because I knew it was the only way to comply with Flitwick's request. Everything after that was genuine on my part. You are probably the most interesting person I've ever met and I find myself truly wanting to get to know you better."

Harry stared at him for a minute. "And you're not lying?"

Cedric smiled. "No, Harry. I'm not lying."

"Okay."

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Turning Point. Please let me know what you think. That means reviews. Please. They can be a writer's muse. Sometimes.**

**Tweena**


	2. Chapter 2: Joanna's Rose

_Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter. Surprise surprise._

**First things first, I'm very sorry it took me two weeks to update. The internet situation in my house went from bad to worse. But, I am connected again. Phew. **

**I have to say, the response to the first chapter of this story was amazing. Everyone who favorited or alerted, thank you. You are a fabulous group of people who deserve cake. Or pie. Cherry pie. Wow, that sounds good right now. **

**Now, to my wonderful reviewers, you rocked my socks. Some of you seriously did inspire me. I can only hope chapter two lives up to your expectations. You get cake, too. Or pie.**

** Chapter 2: Joanna's Rose**

Cedric cleared his throat and looked nervously around the circular common room. The usually warm and friendly atmosphere was absent at present and Cedric couldn't help tugging at his tie uncomfortably. He had gathered all the members of Hufflepuff house together that evening for one purpose and one purpose only. To defend Harry Potter.

He just knew this was not going to go over well.

"Right, well, I suppose you're all wondering why I asked you here. Well, the thing is, I wanted to talk to you about Harry Potter." There was general angry murmur at the mention of the _other _Hogwarts Champion throughout the room. "That's exactly what I'm talking about." The Hufflepuffs merely stared at him in confusion. "Look, we shouldn't be angry at him. I know I was when it first happened, but that's because I wasn't thinking. Now, I'm asking you guys to think about it."

"What's to think about? He wanted to show off again, just like he does every year," someone called from the back of the room.

"If that were true, then why did I find him researching ways to get out of this competition this afternoon. Does that sound like the actions of someone who entered themselves into the tournament? And think about it, the only times he draws attention to himself is when he's on the quidditch pitch and when he ends up in the hospital wing for doing something heroic. Even then, he never brags about it or talks about it. You have to have noticed how quiet he is. How many times are the students of this school going to turn their backs on him only to find themselves in the wrong? I'm not going to do it anymore." Cedric looked around the common room at the pensive faces. "As of this afternoon, Harry Potter became my friend. You can either ignore it or back him up like I will, but I won't tolerate Hufflepuff house making an enemy out of him. He doesn't deserve it and it's not the Hufflepuff way." Cedric nodded once decisively and then headed up to his dormitory. He could hear the gentle murmuring of his housemates discussing what had just transpired, and he could only hope they came to the right conclusion.

It created quite a stir when Cedric Diggory, The 'Real' Hogwarts Champion, guided a scowling Harry Potter, The Cheating Liar, into the Great Hall by the shoulders for breakfast. It was even more surprising when Cedric pushed Harry into the seat beside him at the Hufflepuff Table. He felt the eyes of every house but his own on them.

Cedric ignored them and grinned at a very disgruntled boy-who-lived. "Come on, Harry. Don't be like that."

"Like what?"

"All angry."

"Terribly sorry, Cedric. Shall I readjust my emotions to make you comfortable?"

The boy across from Harry snorted in spite of himself. Harry and Cedric looked at him. "Harry, this is Jason. He's been my best mate since our first day here."

Harry eyed him suspiciously. "Hello, Potter," Jason hesitated for a moment, "Look, Cedric. Everyone was talking about what you said after you went up to bed last night, and we decided you were right. We haven't been very Hufflepuffy the last couple of days."

"Hufflepuffy?"

"Shut up, Cedric. I'm trying to tell you two something." Jason held out his hand for Harry to shake. "On behalf of Hufflepuff house, I would like to formally apologize for our behavior towards you."

Harry looked at his hand for a moment and then up at Jason. "Really?"

Jason smiled. "Really."

"What on earth did you say to them last night?" Harry asked after shaking Jason's hand.

"Nothing beyond what I viewed as common sense and what you said I could tell them."

"Really?"

Cedric laughed, but Harry couldn't help it. He was in complete disbelief. "Really."

"It's just, it seems too easy. That never would have worked in Gryffindor. Words mean nothing to them. They see what they want to see, and that's the end of it."

"Well, your house isn't exactly known for having common sense."

"No, I suppose not. I should have been a Hufflepuff. I wouldn't have to deal with conniving Slytherins, competitive Ravenclaws, or thickheaded Gryffindors."

Cedric couldn't help smiling at Harry's musings. "You're too prickly for Hufflepuff."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry demanded, but not before throwing a half eaten roll at Cedric's head.

"Hey, easy with the baked goods. I'm just being honest. You can be a very prickly individual." Harry's only answer was to take aim and fire at his new favorite target.

Harry waved Hermione on after charms class. He wanted to speak to the professor alone. When he caught her still lingering outside the door, trying to listen in, he closed the door and warded it. While he appreciated her support and the belief she had in him, Harry couldn't help being annoyed and frustrated with her continued lack of respect for his privacy. It had been a non-stop interrogation about why he had been sitting with the Hufflepuffs that morning since the moment he had joined her for their first class.

It was only lunch time and Harry already felt the need to hide himself away for the day. That would have to wait, though. At the moment, he had something to say to his charms professor.

"Mr. Potter? What are you still doing here. You should get some lunch before your next class."

"I'm not really hungry today, Professor, and I had something I wanted to talk to you about." Flitwick invited Harry to take a seat in the chair opposite his desk but Harry politely declined. "I won't stay long, Professor. I just wanted to thank you, for believing me and for caring."

Flitwick smiled gently at him. "It's not hard, Mr. Potter. You are an outstanding person, and I have no doubt you will make it through this year as you have every other. I can only hope that you finally find peace when this is all over."

"I doubt it Professor, but thank you anyway."

"I thought I'd find you here. You weren't at lunch. Did something happen?" Cedric settled himself beside Harry who was once again hiding himself away in the musty library corner.

"No, nothings wrong. I just wasn't hungry."

"Now, why don't I believe you?"

"I talked to Flitwick after class today."

"Yeah? What did he say?"

"He said… he said it wasn't hard to care about me."

"It's not, Harry."

"If that were true, then why do…" Harry sighed. "Never mind, sorry, Cedric."

" 'Why do' what, Harry?" Cedric prodded gently. He could tell whatever Harry was thinking about was weighing heavily on his mind, and he felt this undeniable urge to help his new friend in any way possible. It really was far too easy to care about Harry.

"Forget it. It's not a big deal." Harry gave his head a light shake, as though he were trying to rid himself of unpleasant thoughts or memories. "I'm mainly hiding from, Hermione. I'm grateful to her for standing by me, but, Merlin, there's only so much a bloke can take. She won't stop asking me about this morning, and it's only going to get worse this afternoon because I wouldn't let her stay in the room when I was talking to Flitwick either. Classes are going to be a nightmare. Especially Potions."

Cedric couldn't stand the dejected tone Harry couldn't seem to help using, and an idea came to mind. What Harry really needed right now was a distraction. "You know, I've never ditched a class before. I think today just might be the perfect day to try it. Care to join me?"

Harry's head jerked towards Cedric in surprise. "You're going to ditch?"

"Yep."

"I just might just take you up on that offer, then."

"Brilliant. Care to go flying?"

"Someone'll see us on the pitch."

"Who said we were going to the pitch?"

Cedric lead Harry to a large portrait of a garden on the second floor. He looked around the corridor to be sure no one was watching, then pulled out his wand and ran the tip along the inside edge of the frame. The painting glowed for a moment before disappearing completely. Cedric pulled Harry through the newly created opening and smiled in satisfaction as a mirror image of the portrait appeared behind them, closing off the entrance to the rest of the castle.

Harry's eyes widened in wonder at the sight. Cedric had taken him to what appeared to be a large courtyard. Blue rose vines were climbing the walls and colorful snapdragons and tulips littered the edges. Below them, the grass had grown luscious and green, and above them stretched an expanse of sky so blue it almost seemed to glow. Everything was crisper and sharper and yet at the same time completely surreal.

"This is amazing, Cedric. Where exactly are we? I could have sworn we were in the middle of the castle."

"We were-are… sort of. I don't really know _exactly_ where we are, but I do know you can see the castle from your broom when your flying, and the entrance to the second floor corridor is still on the other side of that portrait."

"I love magic," Harry murmured. He wandered over to the growing vines on one of the old stone walls and pulled a rose free. "I didn't think blue roses existed. There's a story, you know, about blue roses." Harry lay on the ground and sighed. The grass was incredibly soft. "I'm changing my mind, Cedric. I don't want to fly today. I just want to lay here and forget everything beyond that painting."

"Alright." Cedric spread out beside Harry. "Will you tell me that story? The one about the blue roses?"

"Her name was Joanna, and she was a full blood Veela of unequivocal beauty. Men would claim their love for her wherever she went, but she never knew if it was real or not. Three times she fell in love, and three times her heart broke when she discovered they only loved her for her beauty. After her third heartbreak, Joanna left France and traveled to Britain where she met a wizard unlike any she had met before. He was kind, giving, gentle, loyal, and honest. Everything she had ever dreamed of, but she was not ready to give her heart away again. She didn't want to feel it shatter.

"She was frightened when he confessed his love to her. He had never given her a reason to doubt him, but she couldn't let go of her past betrayals. He begged her to find a way for him to prove his love. He said he would do anything she asked of him. So, she told him of a mountain top that grew blue roses, she told him to bring her a single rose from that mountain and she would know the truth.

"It took him two weeks to return to her, but when he did he produced a single blue rose just as she had asked. She cried and admitted her love for him, as well. He asked her what it meant, why the blue rose made her believe him. She smiled and told him that the blue rose garden was magical and only those truly in love could over find it. It was the beginning of a very happy life for Joanna and her love. She left her past behind her and embraced what the future held for the first time in what must have seemed like an eternity."

"That's a beautiful story, Harry, where did you find it?"

"It was in a journal tucked into a book about Veela magic. Everything in the journal was written in story form, so I was never sure if I should take the entries literally or not." Harry paused to take in the fragrance of the rose he still held. It was a gentle sweetness that no other flower could imitate. "You know, the journal said that Joanna and her husband grew a garden of blue roses from nothing but the rose he gave her, their love, and a bit of magic. Do you think this is it? The garden they started?"

"You know, Harry, it just might be."

They lapsed into silence and simply enjoyed the fresh air and the peaceful freedom the courtyard inspired. When Cedric next looked over at Harry, he was asleep. Cedric conjured a blanket for him and pondered over the boy beside him. No, he couldn't call Harry a boy. Despite his age, there was an aged awareness to his eyes that spoke volumes. He was young, but he wasn't a boy.

There were so many questions he wanted to ask Harry. About his life with his muggle family. About why the mere thought of their headmaster angered him. Was he planning to keep his talent and intelligence a secret throughout this tournament? Harry was such a mystery, his past and his future were so complex, yet, at that moment, while he slept, the worry had faded from his face and all that shone through was innocence.

**So, I hope that was an enjoyable read. I never was any good at judging my own writing. Hopefully chapter 3 will be up by next Tuesday. I would love to know what you guys are thinking: passing thoughts, opinions, ideas, anything. Just click and type and you will make me a very happy camper.**

**Tweena**


	3. Chapter 3: Cornered

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter._

**Hello my dear readers. I have once again received amazing reviews and an astounding number of alerts and favorites. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are all wonderfully fantastical beings.**

**Now, I must apologize. It has taken me a ridiculously long time to finish chapter 3. Writer's Block, a new job, and family members going in and out of the hospital have been my delay. Mainly Writer's block, though. This chapter for some reason just wasn't flowing like the first two.**** Alas, it is what it is. But, hopefully what it is is good enough for you to enjoy. (oh dear, I'm not entirely sure that made sense.)**

**Welcome to chapter 3.**

**Chapter 3: Cornered**

Harry drifted back to the common room, still half in a daze. He had slept peacefully for the last six hours. He couldn't remember the last time he'd rested so long without a nightmare. When he'd finally come to, he'd noticed Cedric sound asleep beside him and a warm fluffy blanket wrapped around himself. With an overwhelming feeling of contentment, Harry gently woke Cedric. It was dark and he could tell they'd missed dinner and possibly curfew. It was, unfortunately, time to return to the real world.

The moment he stepped foot into the Gryffindor common room, Harry was pulled from his tranquil state by an awful screeching noise. It was only when a mass of brown frizz nearly swallowed him that Harry comprehended the source of the sound.

"Harry! Where have you been? Do you realize just how much trouble you're in? What were you thinking ditching classes like that? How can you be so incredibly irresponsible? Do you even understand how important it is for you to learn-?"

"Hermione! Calm down. I had a headache."

"Don't you lie to me-"

"Harry, could you come here for a second? I need your help with something," Neville called from upstairs.

Harry sighed in relief. "Sorry, Hermione. Neville needs me." He rushed up the stairs to the fourth year boys dormitory and quickly closed the door behind him. Harry sagged against it and took a deep breath. He saw Neville sitting on his bed, reading a book on water plants, seemingly perfectly happy in his solitary moment. "Hey, Neville. What did you need me for?"

"Hm? Oh," Neville looked up and smiled shyly, "Actually, I didn't really need anything. You just seemed cornered."

Harry snorted and laid down at the foot of Neville's bed. "I was. Thanks, Neville."

"It wasn't a big deal. Just thought I'd give you an out is all." Neville went back to his book.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Cedric collapsed into the armchair beside the fireplace. A silly grin stretched across his face. Spending time with Harry was unlike spending time with anyone else. He had this gravity about him that pulled you in and didn't let go, and, even though there was little about Harry that could be called joyful, Cedric found himself happier and more content in his presence than any others.

"I never thought I'd see the day Cedric Diggory skipped classes. But here we have it," Jason drawled as he plopped into the chair beside his friend. "I hope you had a good time because Snape is going to have your head."

"It was worth it."

"What was worth it?"

"I took a nap and heard a fantastic story."

Jason studied Cedric's face for a moment. He smirked. "You were with Potter again, weren't you."

"How'd you know?"

"You've got that look on your face again. That one that says 'I'm a total sap who's falling head over heels.' Merlin, Ced. You barely know the guy."

"I know. I know I don't really know him. But you've never met him. I mean the real Harry. The one behind the mask. He's not like anyone I've ever come across before. When it's just the two of us it feels like he's this completely different person. He's got this hold over me and he doesn't even know it. And he's smart. Smarter than anyone knows. And this smile. I've only seen it once, but, when he uses it, it's like the world stops turning for a minute."

"Fuck, Ced. You've only known him two days."

"I know."

Jason sighed. "Well, Mum says she knew my dad was it as soon as he said hello. She didn't even know his name. So, I guess two days isn't so fast in comparison."

"Thanks, Jason."

"Does he know?"

"That I have a huge crush on him?" Cedric snorted. "No, and I'm not going to tell him either. He's still learning to trust me as a friend. I'm not going to throw in a 'By the way, I know I only just started getting to know you and I called you a liar last week, but I'm falling madly in love with you.' No, I'll pass, thank you very much."

"Okay, so give it some time first. Meanwhile, start dropping hints. Who knows. Maybe he'll make a move on you."

"He doesn't even know I'm gay. Hell, I don't know if he's gay."

"That's what the hints are for. You can feel him out and figure out if you even have a chance."

"I guess so."

"I know so. Just be subtle."

"Subtle. I can do that."

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Jason kicked Cedric under the table. "And Jason."

Harry looked startled for a moment. "Er. Sure. I guess. When's the next visit?"

"Two weeks."

"The weekend before the first task?"

"That would be the one."

"Alright then." Harry paused mid-mashed potato-bite. "Would you mind if I invited a friend of mind?"

"Granger?" Cedric was skeptical. The only time Harry ever spoke of Hermione Granger was when he was annoyed.

"NO." Harry winced. "I mean, no. It's not Hermione. It's Neville Longbottom. We've never been particularly close, but I think it's time to change that."

"Yeah. Yes. I mean yes. That'd be fine. Great even." Jason kicked Cedric under the table again. Cedric cleared his throat and went back to his supper, doing his best to ignore the odd look Harry was giving him.

Jason rolled his eyes at his friend. Yeah. That was subtle.

Harry pulled his cloak tighter around himself. The crisp air was seeping through to his bones, but he couldn't bring himself to go back inside. He had the grounds to himself for once, and he wanted to take advantage of the peace the night's sky offered him. Sitting against the ancient tree and staring at the thousands of stars stretched out above him reminded Harry of how truly insignificant he was, and he relished in the knowledge.

He heard someone behind him, and closed his eyes. He knew those steps. They were calm, assured, poised, and he had no clue as to why they were so easy to recognize. "Harry? What are you doing out here?" Cedric Diggory settled next to Harry, cloak drawn tightly over yellow and gray flannel pajamas.

"Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same. I keep thinking about next Saturday. I can't believe how quickly time has passed since our names were drawn. We don't even know what we're up against."

"Dragons."

"What?"

"We have to get passed dragons."

Cedric was silent for a while, simply watching Harry watch the sky. He had yet to look away, and the way the moon's light lit up the color of Harry's eyes was nothing less than mesmerizing.

But that was not what was pressing at that particular moment. What was pressing was finding out that in a weeks time he would be facing off with a dragon, and Harry, small fragile Harry, was… "How can you possibly be so nonchalant about something like that? Do you have any idea how disastrously dangerous dragons are? They could kill us, flay us, skewer us with a talon, crush us with a foot, paw, claw thing-"

"Cedric."

"What?"

"Freaking out won't help."

"How do you even know about it? We aren't supposed to, you know."

"Hagrid showed me. I saw Madam Maxine and Karkaroff as well. The other two will know by now."

"Is-is that why you couldn't sleep? Because of the dragons?"

"No. Bad dream."

Cedric chewed on his lower lip. He'd already known Harry didn't get enough sleep. The shadows under his eyes were enough to attest to that. But perhaps if he…"Did you maybe want to talk about it?"

Harry finally tore his eyes from the stars and seemed to be searching his new friend. Cedric was a little unnerved by the inhumanly green eyes staring unflinchingly, unblinkingly, so intensely into his own. Harry opened his mouth, about to speak, then closed it, sighed, and looked away. "No, Cedric. I don't think it's something I should speak of just yet."

Cedric let out a sigh of his own. He knew it was a bit much for him to expect Harry to trust him implicitly after having only known each other for a little over two weeks, but he couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that washed over him whenever Harry chose not to confide in him. "Alright, but if you ever do want to talk about it, I'll listen you know."

Harry gave him a half smile, "I know," and Cedric was satisfied. Silence reigned for a while, Harry lost in thoughts about his dream, Cedric silently panicking about the dangers of facing dragons.

"Are you really not worried? About the dragons, I mean," Cedric couldn't help asking nearly thirty minutes later.

Harry looked at him, half amused half serious. "No. Not really. I'm more worried about how to approach the situation. I don't want to give everything about myself away, but I can't think of a way to get passed the dragon that's within the realm of my public image's capabilities."

"Have you ever thought that it might be time to show everyone how amazing you truly are?" Cedric could hardly believe it when he saw a blush spread lightly across Harry's cheeks.

"No. If I did that, people would be more convinced than ever that I was the one to put my name in the goblet. It's not the time. Besides, I'm only fourteen. I was hoping to keep the cover of hopelessly average until my OWLs at the very least."

"I'm afraid that ship sailed your first year of life," Cedric laughed.

Harry scowled playfully at him. "I can pull it off most of the time."

"Sure, Harry." They grew serious again, thinking about Harry's predicament. A predicament that Cedric found almost laughable. Who would have ever thought he would be trying to help the youngest ever participant of the Triwizard Tournament try to dumb down his approach to the first task. It was utterly ridiculous. "Well, let's brainstorm. What is your 'public image' good at?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Not much really. He can fly, speak parsletongue, and he's damn lucky."

A wide smile spread across Cedric's face. "There you go then. I'm not nearly good enough, but you, public image or not, you can definitely out fly a dragon."

"Out fly a dragon?"

"Sure. Do you even realize how amazing you are on a broom? It's like you were born for the air. Besides, flying is something every Hogwarts student and professor knows you can do flawlessly. You wont be blowing your cover, you'll undoubtedly succeed, and it wont be something that helps convince people of your guilt. It's perfect."

"It does seem to work," Harry said reluctantly.

"Come on, Harry, stop looking for the flaw and accept that I came up with the perfect solution."

"Careful, Diggory, or your head will expand."

"Yes, well, it deflates again when I realize I personally have no clue how to get passed a dragon myself."

"You've studied animal transfiguration, right?"

"Yeah."

"I suggest turning several inanimate objects into rather large mobile animals."

"Distract it?"

"Yep. Make sure to do more than one though, otherwise it'll spot you when you move."

"I like it. Not too complicated and I don't have to learn anything new."

"Yes. That's what the best plans always look like."

"Careful, Potter, or your head will expand."

**I'm trying to make sure every chapter has a moment of development in Harry and Cedric's relationship. I hate it when stories don't have it. How do you know if it's a successful relationship if you don't know what they talk about or connect over? The only story I've ever come across that manages to pull off the whole no conversation thing in a relationship was Down the Rabbit Hole by excentrykemuse. Good story by the way. You should check it out. It's a one shot Harry/Viktor pairing. I always come out of reading it feeling dazed. Not quite sure why, but it's wonderful.**

**Anyways, back on topic.**

**So, yeah. Sorry, again, it took me soooooo long to get this chapter out (anguish) but I'm still hoping for a continuation of the amazingly, wonderfully, awesome reviews I've been getting (sanguine)-(a word people should look up because the different definitions for it are crazy awesome and it's my new favorite word). Every time I read one (a review that is) I went back and wrote a little more of the chapter.**

**Right, so, I just realized that my Author's Notes could create a chapter in and of themselves, so, I'm just gonna say good bye and promise to try to be a good little writer and get chapter four out as soon as I can.**

**Tweena**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello Dear Readers. Dear Sparkly Readers. Horrible person-Me. It has been so long since I have updated. I am shamed. -_- Well, not much else to say at the start of this. Just that I thank you for all of the support you have been giving this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

They watched the sun rise over the Black Lake, the colors so bright against the darkness of Harry's dreams. Nightmares. They were getting clearer and ever more horrifying, but in the wake of the morning light, Harry found he could breathe again.

Cedric walked back to the castle with Harry in companionable silence as had become their ritual over the past week. It was one of the things Harry loved about spending time with Cedric. He had warmth about him that put Harry at ease. He likened it to sitting before the hearth on Christmas Eve with a cup of cocoa and a good book to read. Silent, peaceful, and comfortable. That was how it felt around Cedric. Even when they did talk, it wasn't annoying like he found it to be with most anyone else (he blamed living a life of silence with the Dursleys for his general dislike of conversation). Instead, he found their conversations relaxing and gratifying. It somehow made Harry feel less alone.

He couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face. Cedric nudged him. "What's the smile about?"

"Just thinking about Hogsmeade. If you're lucky, I might even tell you the truth behind the shrieking shack."

"Well, now you've got me all kinds of curious. Is it really haunted?"

"Hmm, is it?"

"Harry."

Harry chuckled. "I'll tell you later."

"You'd better."

"Maybe." Harry winked at Cedric, feeling unusually playful, and took off for Gryffindor tower at a run.

"Harry!" Cedric called after him. He hated mysteries.

Breakfast was spent in relative silence, with Jason looking suspiciously back and forth between a grumbling Cedric and a smirking Harry. It seemed backwards. Harry was generally the grumpy one. He shrugged it off. "So are we meeting up with your friend after breakfast?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, he's not much into breakfast. Says it makes him queasy, so he'll meet us out front at 10:00," he glanced down at his watch, "which is still twenty minutes away."

"So, what's this Neville like, really? The only thing people seem to say about him is he's clumsy, a bit dumb, and awkward."

Harry scowled. Over the last two weeks, he had really gotten to know his quiet roommate, and he was sorry to think he hadn't done so sooner. Neville was quite intelligent and interesting when he wasn't busy being jumpy "That's ridiculous. I mean sure, when he's nervous he's a bit clumsy and starts to stutter, but he's very intelligent and decent and kind. People have no right, they don't even really know him. Just because he's a bit shy-"

"Chill, Harry. I didn't mean anything by it. In fact, that's why I asked about him. You can't trust rumors. I mean, if we believed everything that was said about you, Cedric here wouldn't be head over-hmph! Damn it, Cedric! Just because you have feet doesn't mean you're allowed to use them as weapons."

Cedric continued to eat his toast innocently.

Harry looked back and forth between the two of them, eyebrow raised, before moving on. They were always doing and saying strange things. He was becoming quite accustomed to the oddness.

"Hey, Neville."

Neville jumped in surprise and quickly turned to face Harry. He bit his lip nervously. Towering behind Harry were the two friends he'd briefly mentioned they would be going to Hogsmead with. He, of course, recognized Cedric, but he had never before realized just how tall and broad he was. His fellow Hufflepuff didn't help any. He was even larger. Neville just managed to squeak out a quiet greeting.

Harry chuckled and guessed what was making his friend nervous. "Don't worry, Nev. They're harmless. See," Harry began alternately tugging at Cedric's ear and poking him in the stomach, eyes wide and innocent, "Completely harmless." Jason chuckled as Cedric scowled lightly at his small friend.

Cedric lightly swatted at Harry's hands. "It's nice to meet you, Neville. This git next to me is Jason. Really, Harry. We get the point. You can stop now."

"It's fun."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "Poke Jason."

Harry pouted. "But that's not nearly as entertaining."

Cedric couldn't really begrudge Harry his moment of fun. He was so rarely playful. And it was cute…in a weird way. Never-the-less, he was beginning to bruise. He took hold of Harry's wrists and held them to his sides. "We ready?" Cedric dragged a frowning Harry towards Hogsmead with Neville and Jason following close behind.

The street was packed with the excited chatter of students. They were glowing with the prospect of a free day and the first task so close at hand. Harry and Cedric purposely tuned them out. The last thing they wanted to think about just then was the death trap they would be willingly walking into come Tuesday.

Their first stop was the small musty book shop beside The Hog's Head. Harry and Cedric immediately headed for the Defense section in search of a book they had been debating about a few days prior. Their friends leaned against the wall and watched as they looked. "The Dark Art of Defense by Prailey Prim, right?" Harry murmured.

"No. That one's horrible; it was The Dark Art of Defense by Drucilla Price."

"No, it's the other way around. I'm sure of it. I remember because I thought it was funny someone with the name Prim knew so much about the dark arts."

"If you're so sure, why did you ask?"

"I felt like it," Harry said simply.

"You're still wrong."

"Look, I'll prove it. Here's Prim's." Harry pulled the book off of the shelf and began flipping through the pages, looking for the section on dark rituals. Harry gave a light cough as he realized this book didn't have a section on dark rituals. It was, apparently, not the one they were looking for. He carefully slid it back into place, purposely avoiding looking at Cedric.

Cedric gave a dark chuckle as he pulled Drucilla Price's book off of the shelf, but it died quickly as he realized it wasn't the right book either. He cleared his throat. "Well, we were both wrong. It was definitely called The Dark Art of Defense, though. Wasn't it?"

"Yes?" Harry said hesitantly, no longer confident in his memory of the book.

"There are only three other books here with the same title. It has to be one of them." They each took a book and began flipping through pages again. Ultimately, it was the last book they picked up called The Dark Art_s _of Defense by Branilla Weaver.

"See!" Harry jabbed at the ritual's description, "The Unicorn blood has to be taken on the night _after_ the full moon, not before."

Neville leaned toward Jason and whispered, "Why exactly are they looking up this ritual?"

Jason shrugged. "They're always doing shit like this. They have these little spats about whose right and whose wrong about certain spells and potions and try to prove each other wrong. It's fairly entertaining. When it's not disturbing, that is."

Zonko's was not Harry's favorite shop. It was loud and crowded. Harry did not like loud and crowded. No doubt his father was rolling over in his grave. But Neville and Jason had agreed upon it as the next stop and he could not bring himself to argue when they had said nothing about the two hour long stop at Blatherly's Books and Things.

Thus, he roamed.

The shelves held countless items that served little purpose. He had trouble understanding the fascination his peers found in these trinkets. In his first year at Hogwarts, he had been ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to collect such knickknacks, but the novelty quickly wore off and the items were left at the bottom of his trunk. He had often wondered if it was because he had never had toys as a child. Perhaps that had affected his perception of entertainment.

Never the less, there were quite a few fascinating items in the small shop. He plucked a palm sized thing off of a shelf that had a vibrant lime green glow to it. It was spherical with a flat bottom and at first glance, Harry would have sworn it was a paperweight. A very fancy glowy paperweight, but a paperweight none the less. However, upon closer inspection (and an examination of the label) Harry discovered it was a Voice Carrier. That could be useful. You could whisper in someone's ear from across the room with one of these objects. Yes, there were definitely a few items of interest in Zonko's.

But it was still loud and crowded.

So long as he was here though, he may as well purchase a couple Voice Carriers.

They stopped for a brief lunch at The Three Broomsticks before strolling along the path towards the Shrieking Shack… Well, Neville and Jason were strolling. Cedric was dragging Harry by the hand to the dilapidated building, excited to finally hear the truth behind the myths. There was so much guesswork surrounding this place and he had always wondered about it. None of his research had turned up evidence of an actual haunting, and yet even his mother had told him of the nights she would hear the horrifying shrieks coming from the dwelling. It had scared her in her younger years at Hogwarts. And finally, Finally!, the mystery would be solved.

Unfortunately for dear Cedric, Harry refused to tell his story until Neville and Jason had joined them at the fence. The young champion received great pleasure from watching Cedric dance around in impatience. Their friends certainly were taking their time.

Harry couldn't hide the small smile that spread across his face when he had three eager boys waiting for the story behind the shrieking shack. He was the smallest by far, but it was his audience that appeared childlike in there wide eyed expectation.

"You all remember Professor Lupin, right?"

Cedric's dreams were peaceful. His mind's eye was filled with emerald green and shy smiles.

Around two in the morning, however, Cedric's restful night of sleep was disturbed by a harsh prod to the head. He opened his eyes slowly. The image of a man hovering over him slowly came into focus. He was startled into full wakefulness when the sight finally registered, and he opened his mouth to yell out a warning to his roommates, but he found himself silenced.

There was a twisted smile on the strange man's face, and a demented gleam in his eye. His face was hollow and his skin pale. Cedric knew this face. It had been in the papers a number of times the year before. A mass murderer who had escaped maximum security at Azkaban was hovering above him and he had no way of calling for help. Cedric had never been so frightened in his life.

"Hello, Diggory," Black said. "I've heard much about you. Harry seems to have grown rather attached." Sirius crawled onto the bed beside Cedric and rested his wand's tip on the boy's wildly beating heart. "I hope you know that my godson does not trust easily, and neither do I. Terrible things can happen to traitors, you know." Sirius' grin turned malicious. "I enjoy punishing traitors. Keep it in mind, Diggory, and treat my godson well." Cedric gave a jerky nod. "Good boy." And then he was gone, but Cedric remained frozen to his bed, trying his best to process the event.

Cedric pulled Harry into an abandoned classroom the following morning. Harry sat on one of the desks and watched curiously as Cedric shifted nervously from one foot to the other. When he began absently pulling at his lip, Harry gave up his patience. "Cedric, spit it out."

He jumped a bit and gave a nervous laugh. "I had a strange visitor last night. Or maybe it was this morning. It doesn't matter. He should not have been in my dorm, hovering over me."

"Hovering? Who?"

"…Sirius Black."

Harry snorted. "He would."

"He would?" Cedric squeaked.

Harry smiled brightly. "Yes, he would, and did apparently."

"But …why? And why aren't you freaking out?"

Harry hopped off of his desk and patted Cedric comfortingly on the shoulder. "Last night, you met my Godfather. Don't worry, though, he didn't commit any of the crimes he was convicted for. As for why he broke into your dorm, he probably thought it would be fun. The man gets bored so easily."

"So, he's… and you're okay, with him that is."

"Yep. Now what did he say to you?"

Cedric sagged into a chair and blew out a deep breath. "He basically threatened me. Said I should treat you well or he would punish the traitor."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Did he now? How tame."

Cedric snapped his head up to stare wide-eyed at Harry. "I thought you said he was innocent!"

"I never said he was innocent. Just that he wasn't a mass murderer. And he's not a traitor either. He hates traitors."

"So I gathered," Cedric said weakly.

"Don't worry, Cedric. I'll tell him not to break into your dorm room anymore."

"Will he listen?"

Harry shrugged. "Possibly."

**And that's a wrap. Not for the story, just the chapter. Poor, Cedric. He has so much left to learn. I'm planning to start the romance in the next chapter that will not take me as long to write… hopefully. Thanks for being such loyal readers. **

**Tweena**


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